Two years ago, I stumbled into Sturgis on a BMW...totally by accident; was working long-term in Pierre; went down there on my then-new GS; and had a weekend off. A week before the "official" rally.

Anyway...complete ostracization. Had to get off the bike to become human.

And now that I'm on a touring scoot...I don't even think about waving. Why embarrass yourself? What makes it worse is that I'm in the heart of Harley-Land...there's plenty of metric bikes out here, of course; but there's more Harleys than would be expected in a not-so-prosperous locale.

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Funny thing is that I had a Harley about 25 years ago, before it was fashionable to ride one. You could say I'm fairly familiar with the breed. :) A good number of H-D guys around here wave and are cool, while there are also an abundance of D-bags like the goobers on the bridge today. In all fairness, I got a really good laugh out of those guys today. It was like my own private comedy show. :)

Those Zumas look like a BLAST. I have been bitten by the Scooter bug lately as well. I have a PC800, which is the King of Practicality and I would like a smaller bike to buzz around where I live, and it must also be practical.

Unfortunately I almost have to get on a highway (70mph) to get anywhere from where I live. The traffic is light enough to ride on it most of the time, but I remember what it was like on the KLR250 I used to have - barely able to hit 65 and it was a little nerve wracking.

Trying to decide if I should go with the space-saving 125 (Zuma, Agility) or get something that I will not be as limited on, like a Helix or Reflex.

Those Zumas look like a BLAST. I have been bitten by the Scooter bug lately as well. I have a PC800, which is the King of Practicality and I would like a smaller bike to buzz around where I live, and it must also be practical.

Unfortunately I almost have to get on a highway (70mph) to get anywhere from where I live. The traffic is light enough to ride on it most of the time, but I remember what it was like on the KLR250 I used to have - barely able to hit 65 and it was a little nerve wracking.

Trying to decide if I should go with the space-saving 125 (Zuma, Agility) or get something that I will not be as limited on, like a Helix or Reflex.

Too damn many choices!

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I don't think the Zuma or Agility are going to have enough top end for you without some serious modifications.

It's GREAT at 50 mph or under, fair at 55 and can touch 60 (mine is dead stock) under the right conditions, but 65-70 just isn't in the cards for a stock machine. I think you'd have to get into a BBK and a bunch of other work to get anywhere near 70.

The Genuine Buddy 170i might get you in that neighborhood, but 70 mph on a machine that small on 10" tires seems a bit spooky to me.

I have thought about that. The highway I am referring to is out "in the country" so I can probably go 55 on it and survive. And I may be able to avoid it by taking a dirt road that leads to another road to town.

I almost wish I could find a justification for the smaller 125cc bike as the size of it would be GREAT, considering my limited "covered" parking. Plus I can toss it in my truck and take it with me on a trip pretty easily.

On the other hand an old Helix is cheap, hard to kill. Only it would have to live outside for a while.

Life is tough when you are wishy-washy like me!

But DAMN I do like those 125cc scoots. I'm even starting to like the Genuine Buddy...

I have thought about that. The highway I am referring to is out "in the country" so I can probably go 55 on it and survive. And I may be able to avoid it by taking a dirt road that leads to another road to town.

I almost wish I could find a justification for the smaller 125cc bike as the size of it would be GREAT, considering my limited "covered" parking. Plus I can toss it in my truck and take it with me on a trip pretty easily.

On the other hand an old Helix is cheap, hard to kill. Only it would have to live outside for a while.

Life is tough when you are wishy-washy like me!

But DAMN I do like those 125cc scoots. I'm even starting to like the Genuine Buddy...

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I test road a Buddy 125 and the Buddy 170i. Both very nice machines. They are bit more "nervous" feeling at faster speeds than the Zuma 125. The Buddy is a VERY nimble machine, but not as stable feeling at higher speeds imo. Not terrifying or anything, but certainly requires a bit more attention when using the upper end of their capabilities. Not sure if it's a matter of 12" (Zuma) vs. 10" wheels (Buddy) or if it's got to do with the bikes length (Buddy feels shorter) or maybe steering geometry ... or all of the above.

I'd say the Buddy 125 is prob. a bit faster on the top end than the Zuma, and the 170i definitely has more up top, and a bit more grunt on the bottom end as well. I particularly like the looks of the Silver 170i. Really sharp looking machine, and seems very well built as well.

The Zuma would probably be o.k. at 55 mph if the road was fairly flat. I've pulled some fairly decent size hills around here and managed to keep it up around 50 at WOT. I've done some 55 mph road with mine for about 10 or 15 miles at a stretch, and it was fine, but it wasn't a particularly hilly road. Kept up with traffic just fine, but I could tell I was at the upper limits of what the scoot wanted to do.

So I guess I haven't posted here in quite a while. Had my appendix burst shortly after my last post in this thread in 2012. That had me out of commission for a while. Rode the Zuma quite a bit in 2013 using it as a commuter on non rainy days, and pleasure riding. This year I've been getting more adventurous with it, and doing some 250+ mile days. While certainly not HUGE miles, this takes up a good portion of a day given a little time to stop and enjoy the scenery.

I've left the machine stock, save for a Simota filter at 5000ish miles. No real difference in mileage or performance.

Worst tank of fuel yielded 86 mpg. Seems to consistently do between 90 and 96 mpg.

Just got the Zuma back from the local shop where I had the original drive belt and tires and front brakes replaced, as well as the valves adjusted. At 8300 miles on the clock, the original drive belt still looks DAMNED GOOD!! The guys at the shop were amazed at the condition of the belt,

I grow more fond of this thing every time I ride it. It's continued to be a GREAT commuter, errand runner, and pleasure rider/secondary road explorer.

Here's a few pics of the old belt and new tires..
The new tires are Michelin City Grips. HUGE difference. Much smoother and a whole lot quieter.. Only did a quick 50 mile loop, but I'm really noticing and improvement.

Your scooter looks almost exactly like mine. Mine started out as a white 2012, but I replaced the white panels with matte black ones from a 2013 model. I have the same SH-33 top case, except instead of putting it on the stock Yamaha rack, I used Shad's custom fit rack instead. It is specially made for the Shad mount base. I also have the same windshield. I found it adds about 5 mph to my top speed.

Here is a picture of my scooter the way it was. Only difference in it now is it has matte black body panels, and I removed the reflectors. I wear very bright reflective clothes and helmet, especially if I ride at night.

After having a belt fail after only 4,000 miles on a Vino 125 (with 24,000 on the scooter), I change the belt on the Zuma every 5,000 miles, and carry a spare, along with the tools to replace it. More work and more money, but it beats being stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Interesting. Does anyone know of any reports of people getting 13,000 miles out of their belts on Zuma 125's ?

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I don't. You might want to check on http://www.zumaforums.net/ I got 10,000 miles out of the first 2 belts on my Vino 125, and the belts looked ok. They have pretty much the same variator. The third belt shredded at 4,000 miles. I did put 12,000 miles on a Honda Metropolitan 50cc on the original belt, but sold it without ever even looking at the belt.

I think it depends a lot on the operating conditions. I am on the heavy side, and ride mostly at full throttle. I believe that decreases belt life significantly. I replaced the belt on my Zuma at just over 5,000 miles, and it looked good. I am about to replace it again at just over 10,000 miles. It's expensive, but IMO far better than being left stranded in the middle of the AZ desert. I kept the used belt for a spare, and carry it with me any time I ride very far from home, along with the tools to replace it. Unlike the Vino, which required removing a bunch of bodywork and draining the oil, the Zuma belt is not difficult to replace with the right tools.

As for Yamaha's numbers, they have been questioned before. They state the max load capacity of the Vino 50 and C3 are well under 200 pounds, yet people have ridden long distances on these scooters with twice that much weight on them. The odd part is, a manufacturers recommendations are usually on the conservative side. 13,000 miles seems like a long time for a belt to last on a small scooter. If you weighed 150 and rode at 40 mph, it might be more likely to last longer.

But, like I said, The first 2 belts I replaced on the Vino 125 at 10,000 miles looked fine, and the recommended replacement interval was every 12,000 miles. From what I experienced, and from reading about the experiences of others, it seems a belt can go just about any time, regardless of mileage. Most everybody on zumaforums.net have modified their scooters, and are running aftermarket belts. They seem to spend as much or more time working on their scooters as riding them. Several have had belt failures. Many have had engine failures on modified engines. But the way I see it none of this relates to a totally stock scooter. But after having been stranded in the middle of the desert, I've decided to play it safe.

If you can get to a SYM dealer do try on an HD200 for size- they actually are lighter than most anything that will hit 70+ mph, and they do not feel big at all, even with the larger wheels. If I recall correctly curb weight is under 300 lbs. seat height is a little taller than the 125 type scooters, but the ergos should be fine for anyone of average height. Truly a great package, you just need to be comfortable with how much support you want/need from your local dealer.

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I have two SYM dealers that are fairly close. One in Boston and one in Southern N.H.

I've checked out the HD200 but not test ridden one yet. It does seem to be a nice package, but it IS a good bit physically bigger than the Zuma. Seems to be getting close to the BV 350, People 300, Citicom 300 in size. I'd hate to loose the "park it anywhere" convenience of the Zuma. Not sure I could get away with that with the HD200.

The Vespa 250/300 GTS is also on the short list, but the lack of a functional side stand really hurts it IMO. I know that there are aftermarket ones, but I've not read much good about them. Also, the Italians don't seem to be as service friendly as the Japanese/Tiawan scoots.

But like I said before the Zuma really does most of what I want to do.

At this stage in the game, I'd rather live with a lower top speed (keeps me riding the more interesting roads) than loose the practicality

Ok- how it fits you is what matters. Just pointing out the SYM is about 30 lbs more than the Zuma whereas the Citycom and BV350 are 100 lbs more than the HD 200. The weight is a big deal to me too, as I have a 500 lb tongue weigh cap for my RV and with the Versahaul it brings it down to more like 425 due to the additional leverage.

My P200e is lighter than your Zuma and the SYM felt very manageable especially while riding it. Now that said, my other bike is an R1200GS, so it's all relative. Sounds like the Zuma is perfect for your purposes.

Interesting. Does anyone know of any reports of people getting 13,000 miles out of their belts on Zuma 125's ?

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Yes, and a few have gotten more than that. If you're runninng at top speed for any length of time the belt can get worn prematurely by the weld at the bottom of the contra, and blow up on you (BTDT), otherwise belt wear is minimal.